[Dan White]

Originally Posted by BC21

That's why it's called gambling. The trick is knowing when to leave. It's hard to quit when you're winning, and even harder when you're losing. It takes discipline. The best thing to do is to pick an amount you're willing to lose, an amount you can afford to lose that won't bring you any financial stress. When you lose that amount, get up and leave. You'll find yourself leaving as a winner more often.

Let's say you decide $300 is your limit, what you're willing to lose. You're playing craps or blackjack or whatever, and you're up $500 (started with $300 in chips and now have $800). When you drop down to $500 it's time to leave. That's a $300 loss. It doesn't matter that you're still up, overall. What matters is that you decided you would leave when you lost $300. So it's time to leave. You can either go home or go to another table. If you go home you'll be leaving a winner, up $200. If you decide to stay and just play a different table, then your new loss limit should be the $200 you're up.

You are now playing on the casino's money. If you lose that $200, go home, you're even. It was free entertainment. If you take that 200 (plus your 300, for a total of 500) to another table and get your stack up to $1000, then drop back down to $800, you just lost $200. It's time to make another decision -- go home or go to a different table. If you go home you're a $500 winner, overall. If you decide to stay, never gamble more than the original amount you were willing to lose, which was $300.

Using this strategy gives you the best chance of leaving with more money than you started with, or leaving even, or worse case leaving $300 down or whatever amount you originally decided you could comfortably afford to lose. You'll enjoy casino gambling more because of this.

Yes, there is more than one way to manage your bankroll, but all the good methods recommend making these decisions before entering the casino.

No pattern of play or money management method is going to make anyone profitable at a casino. If your friend's book is sold on the idea that he can help you maximize your win during a hot streak then I've got no problem with it. If he implies that his method will allow you to beat the odds and come away a winner more often than not, then it is unethical, IMO. I'm not saying he is doing that, but these kinds of books tend to give that impression.

[BC21]

Originally Posted by Dan White

Yes, there is more than one way to manage your bankroll, but all the good methods recommend making these decisions before entering the casino.

No pattern of play or money management method is going to make anyone profitable at a casino. If your friend's book is sold on the idea that he can help you maximize your win during a hot streak then I've got no problem with it. If he implies that his method will allow you to beat the odds and come away a winner more often than not, then it is unethical, IMO. I'm not saying he is doing that, but these kinds of books tend to give that impression.

I understand. His book is simply about the best way to play craps in order to maximize winning rolls and minimize inevitable losses. It's smart play, not miracle play. Lol. By following the strategy, including strict discipline on when to leave the table, you will find yourself leaving the casino with money in your pocket more often, sometimes up, sometimes even, or sometimes down, but no more than you planned on losing.

[Dan White]

Originally Posted by BC21

I understand. His book is simply about the best way to play craps in order to maximize winning rolls and minimize inevitable losses. It's smart play, not miracle play. Lol. By following the strategy, including strict discipline on when to leave the table, you will find yourself leaving the casino with money in your pocket more often, sometimes up, sometimes even, or sometimes down, but no more than you planned on losing.

Having said all that, it really is amazing what happens at a craps table on a hot streak. Stacks of black chips everywhere. Lots of drunken hootin' and hollerin'. Generally a lot of fun, especially when the pit crew starts getting nervous.

[cookie man]

Originally Posted by BC21

I'm in Clearwater FL this week on vacation. First off, it's a beautiful place to visit, highly recommended. Anyhow, while here I wanted to meet a fellow AZer and hit some balls around. Anytime I'm out town I like to visit local poolhalls and play a little pool, usually by myself unless someone comes over and asks if I'm looking to play for money. This time I reached out to Cookieman, Dave Stem, since he lives in this area. I figured Dave was a good player, and I had no doubts he would be good company in person.

Long story short.....he brought game and I didn't. We played 9ball, one hole, and 8ball, and had some good conversation. It was all friendly, no gambling. In the 9ball we broke even, each winning 9 games. Then we switched to one pocket, which is my favorite game. It's the first time in a long while that I've played one pocket with no money on the line, and I'm glad for it. Dave is very good player and doesn't make many mistakes. I couldn't do anything right, or anything smart. He beat me about 7 or 8 in a row before I finally won 2 games.

I was struggling for sure, and the harder I tried the worse I played. There are plenty of excuses I could use....lack of sleep, food, etc.... or the absence of money on the line... But truth is, Dave played well and I did not.

After winning 2 one pocket games in a row, I figured switching to 8ball might kick me into gear. I figured wrong. Can't remember the last time I got beat 5-0. I had opportunities to run racks that would normally be gimmies, and I flubbed them up in one way another each time. Regardless, I had a good time and learned exactly what I thought I'd learn.... Dave is a great guy and he can play pool. I wish I had played better, but shit happens. Good shoot'n Cookieman.

Thanks Brian. It was fun meeting up and hitting balls with a fellow AZer. Also good to put a face to the guy that wrote Poolology. Hope you all had a great trip. I'm sure you will be back in the future, how can you not be considering the great way your brother proposed to his girlfriend.

[BC21]

Originally Posted by cookie man

Thanks Brian. It was fun meeting up and hitting balls with a fellow AZer. Also good to put a face to the guy that wrote Poolology. Hope you all had a great trip. I'm sure you will be back in the future, how can you not be considering the great way your brother proposed to his girlfriend.

It was a great trip! Not sure why I bothered bringing a pool cue, considering how I played. But I'll come back down there again. It's a beautiful place with good people.